Barroso said that the two had ‘reviewed the state of relations between the EU and Serbia and reiterated [their] joint commitment to advance Serbia's European perspective based on shared values’. He made it clear though that the process could not be a calendar-driven process, but should be a reform-driven one.
Boris Tadic, the country’s President, was in Brussels and confirmed his commitment to carrying out the necessary reforms so that Serbia could get on the official path to the EU ‘as soon as possible’.
In the past, Serbian officials have suggested that the country could become an EU member as early as 2014, but the EU has made it clear that economic and political reforms are still needed. There is the additional requirement of full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Mr Barroso referred to the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in July as a ‘historic moment’ for Serbia, bringing it closer to its EU ambitions, but other suspected war criminals are still on the run.
The Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) that was signed with Serbia this year sent a political message to the country, just before elections that were considered decisive for its EU future. The document has not been implemented yet however, and will not be until Belgrade’s cooperation with the war crimes tribunal is judged sufficient.
Links:
- EurActiv: Serbia offered ‘possible’ EU candidate status in 2009 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/serbia-offered-possible-eu-candidate-status-2009/article-175093
- European Commission: President Barroso’s speaking points http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/pdf/Press_points_Barroso_Tadic_080903.pdf
- European Commission: EU-Serbia relations
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/potential-candidate-countries/serbia/eu_serbia_relations_en.htm
Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG
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